"First Watch"

by Lt. Cmdr. Shirik Lektar - Chief Operations Officer

Location: Transporter Room 1, Lektar's Quarters, Computer Core, USS Vanguard
Stardate 58806.27, 11h20

***

Four people clad in shipyard overalls stood on the transporter pad. One of them smiled at Shirik. "Bye, Commander."

Shirik gave the worker a nod of acknowledgement and tapped on the control console before her. The familiar whine of the transporter filled the air as the people shimmered away. She stood there for a moment watching the empty place where they'd been. The silence, which she'd been waiting for for months, seemed out of place now that it was there. She locked down the console and stooped to pick up her single duffel that had been beamed over. The ship was officially hers now, and for a few hours or days she would be its only occupant. She grabbed her PADD off the console and left the room, heading down the corridor of Deck 2. Her quarters were conveniently located just down the hall from the transporter room, making for a quick and convenient unpacking. Now that she was allowed to work as an Ops officer and not an engineer, she had much to do to prepare for the arrival of the other department heads and crew. The ship had been fully certified just that morning, but was nowhere near ready for the actual launch yet.

The doors whooshed open on her new quarters. Conveniently located between the counseling office and sickbay. She wondered if that had been intentional on someone's part. She waited until the door closed behind her and the darkness enfolded her, then stood silently for several moments more, listening, her heat vision examining the room.
Of course no one was there, she was the only one on board. But she still checked, something inside her never letting her feel completely safe.

"Computer, lock the door. Authorization Lektar-alpha-two-two-seven." The computer chirped its compliance, and only then did she move into the bedroom, leaving the room in darkness.

A tension had taken hold of her as soon as she entered the quarters, and it wasn't alleviated until she opened her pack on the bed and removed from it her most valued possession - her kemla. The blade had saved her life several times, and these days she never quite felt safe unless it was on her person. There had been many nights when only the feel of it in her hand had allowed her to sleep.

She laid the blade on the bed and decided she would need at least some light in which to complete her unpacking. "Computer, lights to 30% of standard." The light in the bedroom came on just enough to let her make out the objects in her pack, that her heat vision wouldn't be able to pick out in the dark.

She moved to the dresser and opened the bottom drawer, the drawer that would be the home for most of her collection until she packed them back up again. They were items she seldom or never used, but things she couldn't simply get rid of, either.

Into this drawer went the case holding her commendations and medals, which came out of the drawer only when she was required to wear them for some official function. Following the case was the padded velvet bag containing her sundvas, the flute-like musical instrument from her homeworld that she played only once since joining Starfleet. Next an isolinear chip, containing a holodeck program she had never run. Lastly, a small box, containing the Bajoran friendship bracelet given to her by Sorg Jurell. She closed the drawer, enfolding the items in darkness.

There were a few items left. On top of the dresser she placed a holoimage of her family. No such image actually existed, she had made this one from separate images of the individuals, pasted together to look like they had been gathered in a group. She herself was not in it. In the image, no one was smiling. All but one of them was now dead. Beside it she placed an image of two Vulcans, a man and a small boy beside him. They weren't smiling either, although the boy had a mischievous glint in his eye. Accompanying the holoimages on the dresser's surface was a brush given to her by her longtime bodyguard Voren when they met at Starbase 12.

For a long moment she stared at the image of the two Vulcans, as memories and emotions resurfaced. He too was dead, or missing, only the boy still lived, but she'd likely never see him again. Technically under Vulcan law he was her son, but her people would never see him that way.

Into the top drawer went a few articles of clothing she had brought from her homeworld back when she attended the academy. She seldom wore them. And the last item, a small round terrarium covered in black fuzz. She knew the Vanguard didn't have an arboretum, so she'd have to be creative in finding a place to plant some.

Packing complete, she picked up her kemla from the bed and just studied it in her hands. There would be a new crew, a new security chief, a new captain. She didn't know if she'd be allowed to wear it this time. It seemed every ship she managed to kill at least one person with it, whether she wanted to or not. She strapped it on her thigh and decided to wait and see what would happen.

"Computer, unlock the door." When the chirp sounded she stepped through. "Computer, lights out." She would have to take time later to reprogram the computer in her quarters to her standard security and command protocols. But for now she had work to do. She consulted her PADD and saw that crew were already beginning to be assigned. She raised an eyebrow as she saw who the new XO was going to be. "Hmm." she mused, surprised that already she would know someone, but now instead of her equal he would be her boss. Perhaps she would get to keep her kemla this trip after all. The thought brought a small smile to her lips and she went back down the corridor the way she'd come to arrive at the turbolift. The doors whooshed open and for a moment she stood there looking into the empty space of the lift. A lot of unpleasant things had happened in turbolifts over the years. She took a breath and stepped inside. "Computer Core."

The lift moved sideways, took a turn, then went down two decks before turning again and finally opening into another corridor. She headed down the hall a short distance then into another door. Here the two twin cores filled the room and went up another deck. It had been her first posting as an Ops Officer so long ago on the Sulu. This room was smaller than that one had been, but not by much. She went to the controls and started running final checks on all systems, making sure everything was ready. She made sure all vital systems were fully powered up from the batteries, including life support, gravity, inertial dampeners, and replicators. The main warp core wouldn't be put online until the Chief Engineer arrived and ran his final checks. Until then the batteries, recharged constantly by the umbilicals to the drydock frame, would power things.

While she was there she started going over the locations of various crew quarters, already assigning those that would be used by the senior staff, as they had dedicated spaces on board.

She would spend her shift alone on board checking all the ship's systems. She made a tour of the entire ship, retracing the paths the inspection crew had taken, from the bridge down to the landing struts, making sure everything was in order. The ship was ready, she was ready. She just needed to wait now.

"Coming Aboard"

Lt. Cmdr. Shirik Lektar - Ops Manager
Lt. Cmdr. Greggory Griffith - First Officer

Location: Transporter Room 1, USS Vanguard
Stardate: 58806.28, 08h00

***

Shirik had just finished breakfast and was waiting at the turbolift to begin her shift when she got the notification from Utopia Planitia that the new XO was ready to beam aboard. As the doors opened she turned away to instead head down the hall to Transporter Room 1.

It had been a year since she had last seen Greggory, or anyone from the Constellation crew, but it seemed much longer. She'd been engrossed in helping the Engineering crew with the refit, and had seen places on the ship she'd never thought to see. She knew the ship inside and out, knew all the upgrades, where and how they'd been installed and how they were supposed to work. It had always been easier for her to work with machines and equipment than people.

As she moved to stand at the console and activate the controls, she thought about the new arrival. He was coming on board now not as her equal, but as her boss. She wasn't sure how to feel about seeing him again. She focused her attention on the controls in front of her as she signalled readiness to the planet, and the platform shimmered with the materialization, then suddenly there he was.

'I've spent too much time planet-side,' Greggory thought to himself as he walked through the halls of Utopia Planitia, readjusting to the smell of recycled air and the feel of artificial gravity. 'I'm going to have to spend time in the zero-g gym. And if the ship doesn't have one, well, I can always set aside some corner of the Jeffries' tubes.' His new position was something he'd have to get used to, as well. He may be used to leading teams, but being XO of a starship, even a small one, would take some adjustment. 'I know how every part of a ship functions, but communicating what I need to various department heads has a learning curve.'

He readjusted the satchel on his shoulder as he walked into the transporter room, letting the operator on duty know where he was headed. 'Hopefully, doing my job well will finally allow me to drop the Lieutenant from my rank. That's tedium I can do without.'

He had, of course, reviewed the crew manifest, such as it was, on his way over from Earth. One name stood out. He hadn't seen her in a year, though there had been some brief correspondence in the first few months. He looked back fondly on their burgeoning friendship and hoped they could pick up where they left off, new position dynamic notwithstanding. Not like he needed to keep a close eye on her to run her department. He knew how capable and professional she was.

As the transport completed, he blinked his eyes and looked around, quickly finding the target of his thoughts standing at the control station.

"Shirik. Lieutenant Commander Greggory Griffith, reporting for duty." He gave her a small smile. "It's good to see you."

She inclined her head in greeting, the barest hint of a smile finding her lips. "Welcome aboard, Commander," she said. "Would you like me to show you to your new quarters? They're not far."

He nodded, gesturing toward the door. "Certainly. I appreciate the courtesy."

As they walked down the corridor he asked, "How have you been these last months? Did you ever get the opportunity to meet with Voren and try some 'real food' again?"

"No, I've as yet heard no word from my sister. But knowing her, it may be decades before she chooses to respond. I've been quite busy for the last year, I worked with the Engineering team on the refit of this ship. I look forward to seeing how it performs."

"Likewise. Always fun to play around with a new engine. Can't wait to see what our Chief can get out of it.

"Sorry to hear that he hasn't been able to come by. Maybe our meandering course will take us close enough to Drokari space to justify the visit from Drokar."

"I'm not sure she will even allow it. She's no doubt calculating whether she can derive some advantage from it." They stopped at a turbolift and the doors opened. There was a moment's hesitation, barely noticeable, before she stepped inside and waited for Greggory to join her before saying, "Deck 1." As the lift began to move, she added, "I doubt it would matter to her where we were located, if she decides to send a ship it will come, no matter how far."

The lift smoothly rose one deck and the doors opened once more. She led the way out to the right and a short distance down the hall. "Your office is to the right," she gestured, "and your quarters are right next door to the left. Just across the hall from your quarters is one of the entrances to the bridge. All very conveniently located."

Greggory stood next to her in the turbolift, occasionally glancing her way. "Perhaps, between the two of us, we can come up with a way to phrase the request so it sounds like something she'd benefit from."

Once they got to Deck 1, Greggory stepped out reading the room descriptions as they passed. "Convenient, indeed. Where's the Captain located? On this end or the far side of the bridge?"

"Oh, I already made my request, which is why she's considering it at all. It would be best not to make any further contact until she's decided."

She pointed down the corridor. "The next door down next to your quarters is the briefing room. The captain's ready room and quarters are on the other side of the bridge. You can continue around down this hall or go back past the turbolift or through the bridge itself to get there. There's also a turbolift directly to the bridge, so if you ask for bridge that's where you'll be taken rather than the one we came from."

"A logical approach for such a tight ship. Going to be a lot of long walks through the corridors, if only for an excuse to put some distance between me and the bridge when I'm off-shift." Greggory headed toward the door to his quarters. "Thank you for the tour. You're welcome to come in if you don't have any other duties at the moment."

She considered for a moment. "I can join you for a short time, but won't you be simply unpacking? And about your walks, the ship is small but it does have a gymnasium and two holodecks. But unfortunately for me, no arboretum."

"I can unpack and talk at the same time," he said with a grin, walking into the (relatively) spacious quarters. "I'm sure we can find space in the Science lab, if you need a place to grow Tasmos."

She followed him inside and the doors closed behind her. She looked around the room curiously, having never been in this particular room before. "That's what I was thinking. There are two configurable science labs aboard, not yet assigned. I could perhaps at least set up a small enclosure in one of them to grow it. It doesn't need much, just a dark space similar to a cave. For that matter, I could probably just set aside a space in my own quarters." Her long braid swayed behind her as she moved, and her kemla was in plain view strapped to her thigh. She had her ever-present PADD in her hands.

"I'm sure we can come up with a reason for a low-light environment ecological study," Greggory said with a laugh. As he pulled out some of his own mementos, he placed them around the room. "I'll probably have to convince one of our biochemists to help me come up with a way for me to join you for a cup safely."

He reached into his bag and pulled out a felt exocomp with exaggerated ursine features, placing it at the head of the bed.

"If it's safe for you to drink, it's not klaas," she smirked. "But I can probably program the replicator to make a coffee or raktajino that smells like klaas...." Her attention was drawn to the stuffed creature. "What is that?"

Greggory rolled his eyes at the familiar argument. When she asked about the stuffed exocomp, he laughed. "A souvenir from the Constellation. I had utilized a number of exocomps, modified so they didn't have the adaptive programming that gave them sentience, to take care of janitorial duties and routine maintenance. It freed up my engineering teams to put more training into damage control exercises. One of our fellow officers suggested that I treated them like pets, hence the animal features on this one."

"What became of them? Are they still on the Constellation?" she asked. "Who owns them?" She considered the devices. She knew that some of them had been declared sentient, which raised a whole slew of questions.

"I left them aboard the Constellation. They had been part of the routine for so many of the crew, it seemed a shame to take that away, especially on such a large ship. The next Chief could decide to get rid of them, of course, but that's their prerogative."

She considered for some time in silence before speaking again. "If the exocomps were deemed sentient... how is it ethical to use them at all in that way? You said these had no adaptive programming, but if they are considered sentient like humans, isn't doing that sort of like... using lobotomized humans as servants?" she asked carefully.

"These were never sentient and didn't have the capacity to be. It isn't like I used the standard model and stripped them of that autonomy if they got too advanced. At worst, it'd be like using a lower primate as a beast of burden. I suppose it depends on just how fine a line you want to put on it, but I tried to navigate the ethical issues." He understood where she was coming from, given her own culture.

"So you used... prototypes? The earlier forms?" she nodded, that made sense. She felt relieved for some odd reason. "That's good."

"The Constellation is a much bigger ship, likely they wouldn't be needed here anyway."

"Smaller ship, smaller crew. If I feel like Engineering is underperforming, I'll bring it up with our Chief, but I'm going to try not to micromanage, since it's not MY department." Greggory sat on the edge of the bed as he finished unpacking. "What about Ops? Anything you need approved or requisitioned before we set off?"

"No, now they're ALL your department," she said with a small smile. "No, well one thing... but I really need to take it up with our Security Chief first, when we get one." She patted the kemla at her thigh. "It's the same discussion every time I board a new ship."

"Well, if you need it, I can put a good word in for you. I know you're responsible with that thing. As long as you don't go anywhere for shore leave," Greggory joked with a wink.

That actually elicited a smile from her. "Nowhere with other people, anyway," she agreed.

"I personally have no problem with senior staff being authorized to carry self-defense gear, rather than relying on Security for anything they can't handle unarmed. Even if it doesn't have a stun setting," he joked.

She nodded. "We'll see what our security chief says when he or she comes on board. While you can override them, I dislike going over people's heads to get something I want. It's unprofessional."

"First Impressions"

by Lt. Korn Zaje
Lt. Cmdr. Shirik Lektar - Ops Chief

Location: Shuttle Bay
Stardate: 58806.29, 07h30

***

As the shuttle landed on the shuttle bay with a reassuring 'thud', Zaje waits in anticipation for the ramp to open. This is the first time on the Vanguard and he's very much looking forward to seeing what security protocols are in place.

His last posting on the USS Zeus under the enigmatic Captain Ewan Rodgers had been a baptism of fire. Thrust into action after an accident left the previous Senior Security Officer incapacitated, Zaje had stepped up and impressed his former captain. He hoped to do the same here.

Stepping down the shuttle ramp, he looked around. "Hmm, nobody to check my credentials. Slightly lax." Zaje makes a note to pick this up with the CO later.

Now, he really wants to check out the ship's weapons system, but really needs to get rid of his case. The dossier stated Chief Lektar is the Ops Chief in charge of quarters. He hits his comm badge. "Korn to Lektar....."

Shirik was in her quarters, in the middle of breakfast when her commbadge chirped. Korn? She glanced at her PADD to find his name. "Ahh..." she murmured to herself. Tapping her commbadge, she replied, "Lektar here."

"Sorry to disturb you so early Sir. This is Lt Korn. I have just arrived and I believe I need to contact you to assign me some quarters. I'm eager to get going Sir."

Korn hoped he didn't sound too eager. But having been away from a ship, even for a short time, he was raring to start work.

"That's not a problem. Where are you now? I'll meet you," she said, hastily finishing the last of her breakfast and moving to the replicator to recycle everything before scooping up her PADD and heading out the door.

"Thank you Sir. I am currently on Deck 4, by the shuttle bay." Zaje hated waiting around not being of use, but needs must.

"On my way," she said, already on her way to the turbolift.

It was only a few moments before she arrived at the shuttlebay and made her way towards the new Security Chief, her gaze already studying him, taking measure of the man. A Bajoran. She had her misgivings, given her interactions with Bajorans in the past, especially Bajoran Security Chiefs. She cast those thoughts aside. This was not Ben, although he did bear a superficial physical resemblance. "Lt.... Korn, is it?" she asked. She was never sure which name was the correct last name for a Bajoran. "I'm Lt. Cmdr. Lektar. Welcome aboard. I can show you to your quarters. Once you've settled into your new office, I'll have some things to go over with you."

"Reporting for duty Commander. It's an honour to be chosen for this posting." He could see the slight pause in the Commander before she greeted him. Shrugging it off, Zaje stands to attention. "I'm eager to take stock of the ship Commander. Whilst I appreciate the mission is of discovery, we can never be too prepared."

"Indeed," she agreed. "Seldom do any missions go smoothly or without surprises, in my experience. Come. Your quarters are on Deck 2 starboard, and the brig and armory is located on Deck 3."

She led the way to the turbolift. The ship was small and compact, everything seemed a short walk to everything else. "Deck 2," she said after they'd entered the lift. It was a short ride to Deck 2, where she stepped out and led the way a short distance down the hall. "Your quarters are here. Next door is the counseling office, and just across the hall from your quarters is the nearest escape pod location."

Arriving on Deck 2, Zaje turned to Shirik. "Thank you Commander." Zaje hoped he wouldn't need the escape pod any time soon, but better to know the location should he be caught napping. "Shall I get settled in and then come and find you? You mentioned you wanted to discuss some things with me?" Eager to get a glimpse of the defensive and offensive systems without a chaperone, Zaje makes a small bow of his head. "I don't want to take up too much of your time."

"Yes, but I think they can wait until you're fully settled in. I'll catch up with you later. If you have any questions about anything, feel free to ask."

"Shakedown Cruise"

Lt. Cmdr. Raikon Achaea - Chief Engineer
Lt. Cmdr. Greggory Griffith - First Officer

Location: Shuttle Bay, Main Engineering
Stardate: 58806.29, 08h30

***

Raikon stepped out of the shuttle, the last shuttle that needed to be delivered so he decided to hand deliver it himself. The Vanguard was becoming a very familiar place. The last few months him and his engineering team have been busy refitting her and prepping for her shakedown. Pinching the bridge of his nose Raikon was trying to shake the tiredness. It had been long days as well. Picking up his bags he decided to go to engineering first...

Greggory was crawling along the inactive warp core, running a detailed scanner over the surfaces. Given his experience, he was pulling double duty, directing the engineering teams until the CEO arrived. Currently, he was in the middle of a level 2 diagnostic, making sure the core was intact and wasn't inadvertently damaged during installation. Wouldn't do to have the system break down mid-flight. His red collar certainly stood out among all the other engineers, but he moved with a familiar assurance.

Raikon dropped his duffel bags off in the engineering mess hall near his "desk". During the refit he used one of the tables as his unofficial desk. It was stacked with PADDs of various sizes and used coffee cups.

Grabbing a fresh cup from the replicator he walked over to the main engineering deck. The hallways were quiet at the moment but would soon be busy with various engineers from the Vanguard and Utopia Planitia getting the ship ready for her launch.

Walking in through the main doors of engineering he saw a lone figure and a flash of red shoulder of command near the warp core doing some scanning. Curious he walked over to the figure.

"Sir?"

Poking his head over the railing to answer another engineer that came up to him with an update, Greggory spotted a new figure walking into engineering. With a smile, he recognized his new CEO from the officer files he had been reviewing. "Commander Achaea, right? Welcome aboard." He shimmied his narrow frame out of the space and stepped onto the deck. "Just getting a head start on final checks."

Raikon nodded to the engineer as he walked past.

"That's right Sir, Lt. Cmdr. Raikon Achaea." He extended a hand towards the XO. "I hope she's passing your inspection Sir, me and the team put in some hard work to get her ready."

"Oh, you were part of the refit crew? Sorry, I was too focused on remembering everyone we were taking with us." Greggory firmly clasped the other engineer's hand. "The diagnostic hasn't revealed any major issues with either the hardware or the installation. I already made sure a copy of our findings was sent to your official account."

He gave Raikon a grin that carried a slight apology. "No doubts about your team's work, I just always prefer to have a second set of eyes review any major work. That, and I get a little anxious when I have too much down time, such as waiting for launch. I promise, once we're out there, Engineering is all yours, as long as you continue to maintain performance. I wouldn't want an overbearing XO scrutinizing every detail of my department, either."

Raikon smiled, releasing the commander's hand. "That's alright Sir. It's been so hectic down here I barely had the time to get to know most of my own team myself. But they are a solid bunch."

"I'll go over your reports as soon as possible." Looking around main engineering before returning his gaze to the commander. "We've got a few more diagnostics to run but she'll be ready, don't you worry Sir."

"Of that, Commander, I have no doubt. I can already tell she's got a lot of gumption. Just let me know if there's anything you need before we launch." Greggory smiled warmly as he looked around the bustling engineering. "Don't worry, I'll be out of your hair now that you're here to run everything. Just don't be surprised if I prefer to come down here for our regular check-ins, rather than have you come up to my office."

While they were chatting engineers were pouring in going about their day and getting the ship ready. He saw the commander looking around — there was almost a hint of something.

"Do you miss it Sir?" Raikon asked.

Greggory couldn't help the laugh that briefly escaped him. "Of course," he said, turning to Raikon, "but I also want to move on to bigger things. I did good work as a Chief Engineer, but I discovered I really enjoyed working on projects from the ground up." Greggory gave Raikon an amused smirk. "Catch me in the lounge sometime and remind me to tell you about the Wayfarer." His eyes again drifted over engineering, both the equipment and the staff. "I want my own ship where I can explore my own projects, not just those given to me. I've learned a lot about integrating and maintaining the equipment, now I'm learning how to do that with a crew."

"I can understand where you are coming from, Sir. I've been tempted a few times but I always return back here." He gestured around main engineering with his coffee cup. He finally remembered he actually made himself a cup and took a sip of it. "Where are you off to next, Sir?"

"Oh, I'll probably grab a bite to eat before my next department head meeting. Now that you're here, don't forget to schedule one so we can go over any department issues before launch." He held out his hand to Raikon. "Once again, welcome aboard."

Grabbing the commander's hand, "Thank you Sir, I will." Raikon watched the commander leave and took a sip of his coffee. Counting a few seconds in his head he finally broke the silence.

"Computer, who was the commander that just left engineering?"

The computer chimed. "The person who just left main engineering was second in command Greggory Griffith."

Raikon felt a bit embarrassed. "Shhhhhiiiiiittttttt," he cursed under his breath. He'd totally forgotten.....

An engineer nearby was shaking their head and giving him a look. Raikon looked at them seriously. "Tell anyone and I'll make you scrub the Jefferies tubes for a month with nothing but a toothbrush." The engineer turned away, suddenly very interested in their PADD.

Raikon gave a slight nod before raising his voice. "Right people, let's get to work and get this ship ready to sail!!"